Oser Communications Group

GOURMET NEWS MARCH 2020 www.gourmetnews.com NEWS & NOTES 8 Although putting plant-based products next to the conventional protein products to which they're an alternative may help shoppers find their way to them, sampling isn't a strategy that's likely to be particularly helpful, according to Ransom. Tofurky has found that sampling of its products is most effective when the sample is presented as part of a dish that's familiar to the shopper and that demonstrates, not just the flavor of the product itself, but how it might fit into a meal component that the shopper would be pleased to serve at home. The most effective sampling is likely to take place by incorporating the item into the prepared food menu, since the product is most likely to shine when it's prepared by a trained chef, noted Adrienne duBois, Vice President of Global Sales for Follow Your Heart. Customers who are curious about plant-based foods may be encouraged to try them when they see them on the menu of a restaurant, and then they may be more likely to look for those products in their grocery markets, she added. In their grocery store, consumers may find that the prices of plant-based meat al- ternatives are a deterrent to purchase. Some of those price disparities occur because many plant-based foods are being made by companies that earned their start in the natural foods channel, which means that the products had to be made according to an ethic that met the standards of the nat- ural foods shopper, according to duBois. Meeting the expectations of those shoppers adds constraints that often involve higher costs, she said. She noted that the expand- ing market for plant-based foods is attract- ing interest from other companies with a history of operating in conventional chan- nels, where consumers have different ex- pectations that could be met with a lower cost structure. The resulting entry into the market of cheaper plant-based alternatives will drive both the affordability of the products and the diversity of the product range, accord- ing to Ransom. That will, in turn, increase sales, and that could lead to supply chain issues and spot shortages that create a start- stop pattern of product availability, she said. Tofurky, in particular, is already taking a hard look at its supply chain to make sure that it has the capacity to supply enough product to meet rapidly growing demand, according to Ransom. "Plant-based foods are becoming more mainstream with respect to price and selec- tion," said duBois. "If we're trying to main- stream, it's about improving performance of the product for various use occasions. It's getting better over time." GN Beyond Animals Continued from PAGE 1 But although the chain is experiencing success selling plant-based products, par- ticularly in areas of the store that receive the highest foot traffic, the effort to meet shoppers where they are with plant-based products has some drawbacks too, accord- ing to Puza. "Our biggest concern right now is shrink," he said. "This is the grace period, where everybody wants to try everything, but the grace period has an ending." After a careful analysis of which products are moving and which aren't, Hannaford will soon respond with an ad- justment of its product assortment after taking into account the importance of its relationships with its various vendors, Puza said. from around the world. The museum-like gallery leads to the Discover | design Expo where buyers will find high-end, design- forward concepts from across product cat- egories and around the globe, many being seen for the first time at The Inspired Home Show. Elsewhere in the exhibit hall, you'll fine Bialetti's Pasta Pot, now in stainless steel for the first time. This 6-quart pot has an oval shape to fit pasta without breaking it and a perforated lid for quick and safe drain- ing. It will retail for $99. Good cook, like Bialetti a brand of the Bradshaw Home family, is offering a folding digital thermometer that reads in 3 seconds and lists U.S. De- partment of Agriculture safe cooking tem- peratures on the side. Good cook is also introducing a new set of aluminum baking pans with a nonstick textured surface to provide air flow beneath the baked goods for even cooking and easy release. The range includes a total of 12 products, in- cluding a sheet pan, muffin pan, mini-muf- fin pan, pizza pan and cake pans. Saveur, long known as the publisher of its eponymous magazine, is launching a new line of stainless steel cookware into a marketplace that's expected to welcome a brand already well known for devotion to culinary excellence. The range includes a set of 11 pieces, including six pans and their lids, and more sets are available. The pieces will also be available in open stock. Saveur is also introducing a line of enam- eled cast iron and a bakeware line. Kilner, a brand of Typhoon Homewares, is bringing out its Soup Jar Set, which has a jar, a cover and a spoon – perfect for those home cooks who've discovered that a pres- sure cooker is ideal for turning today's left- overs into tomorrow's comforting lunch. It will retail for $16. Those same consumers will also appreciate Kilner's new All In One Food to Go Jar Set, an innovative way to store, carry and con- sume hot or cold foods directly from the jar. The 17-fluid ounce wide mouth jar has an accompa- nying spork, and the silicone gar- nish pot with stopper separates sauces, dressings or dips from the dry in- gredients below. The stopper also creates a funnel for pouring hot water directly onto noodles, and the silicone base absorbs heat during microwaving. This set will retail for $20. Kitchen Concepts, known for reinvent- ing the butter dish as a flip-top container that can be stored on the countertop, is back at the show this year with Toaster Tongs, the solution for those times when the bagel is just slightly wider than the toaster slot. The tongs in- clude an integrated oven rack pusher- puller to help the home cook avoid those brands on the hand that happen when the hot pad isn't quite big enough or the kid starts screaming just when the cook is manhandling the roast out of the oven. It'll retail for $3.99 to $4.99, and it has the potential to be one of those prod- ucts that helps pay your electric bill because it's not glamorous but it's af- fordable and home cooks who've ever burned a hand in the oven will understand its utility. The DRIP water bot- tle from Roq Innova- tion is for those consumers who need both their tunes and their water bottles along when they're working out in the gym. It includes high-quality Bluetooth earbuds and rechargeable USB power bank station to synch to the phone for two to three hours of playing time. DRIP is stainless steel, vacuum insulated and dishwasher safe once the ear pods and power bank are removed. Cleva NA will be at The Inspired Home Show this year with a name that's more fa- miliar – the Kenmore brand. Cleva made Kenmore vacuum cleaners for Sears for years and has now licensed the rights to continue using the brand name for vac- uum cleaner products that will be avail- able to other retailers. The line includes upright, canister and bagless models that will appeal to consumers who trust the legacy brand name and value its attractive price points. You should be able to find the booth under the Kenmore name at the show. Zojirushi will be at the show with some new countertop cookers as well as its Flip- and-Go stainless vacuum mugs that will be available to ship in March. Offered in four colors and in 16-ounce and 20-ounce sizes, the mugs feature sturdy handles to make them more portable as well as the quality and thoughtful design that consumers ex- pect of Zojirushi. The 16-ounce mugs will retail for $52, and the 20-ounce mugs will retail for $55. Additional information on The Inspired Home Show events, exhibitors and at- tendee registration are available at www.theinspiredhomeshow.com. GN Inspired Home Continued from PAGE 1 an annual report and keynote presentation. Cedarlane Culinary created a lot of buzz in Lakeside Center last year with its Spher- ificator, a device for turning virtually any liquid into caviar-shaped pearls. The Spher- ificator will appeal to the home entertainer who believes that guests should go home with fun memories as well as full stomachs. Noting today's challenge of bringing con- sumers into brick and mortar stores, IHA will feature an experiential retail area in the Smart Home Pavilion, also in the Lakeside lobby, that demonstrates multiple ways to enhance the in-store experience, including augmented reality, RFID product recogni- tion and information, heightened POS dis- play opportunities and the ability to purchase customized, out-of-inventory items in an on-site environment. Pantone ColorWatch has moved to level 2.5 of the Grand Concourse this year. Pan- tone will be unveiling the eight color palettes representing the strongest home furnishing trends for 2021 along with showcases with exhibitor's products in the forecasted colors. Buyers can browse the display on the way to the exhibit floor and find products that, like Lidia's Polish Pottery, incorpo- rate the color trends of the fu- ture even as the traditional de- signs of the din- nerware honor a legacy developed in Poland over six centuries. The Grand Concourse Bridge is the new home for the IHA Global Innovations Awards (gia) for Retail Excellence, where 32 retail winners from 31 countries are fea- tured on banners hanging across the bridge and in individual displays throughout the walkway. Five lucky retailers also will be named Global Honorees when they are an- nounced at the gia gala dinner on Saturday, March 14. Do not miss the Discover | design Gallery, a curated collection of the most el- egantly and intelligently designed products

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